


A Nonlinear Romance

by sunkelles



Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Character Study, F/F, Femslash, I imply that they might have had the sexy times, Non-Linear Narrative, The Mandalorian Lesbians, and it's implied so lightly that they might not have done the sexy times, building a snowman, but you never actually see the sexy times, mandalorian culture, so i don't feel as though this warrants an underage warning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-19
Updated: 2016-04-19
Packaged: 2018-06-03 04:36:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6596887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunkelles/pseuds/sunkelles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>the Sabine and Ketsu prequel.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Nonlinear Romance

**Author's Note:**

> so this is a really bittersweet fic. (i do honestly think that ketsu ends up regretting her actions and that she and sabine will be able to work through it and sabine will forgive her, but this fic is not about that. this fic is about their relationship before the ghost crew) 
> 
> also, here's an explanation for an idiom that i made up!!!! “Twi’lek’s Tale” comes from an old stereotype (that I just made up) that Twi’leks prostitute themselves and then cry “slavery” when they start to regret their lot in life. It is offensive and inaccurate, but there are a lot of things in our own culture and language that lead me to believe that an idiom like that could end up being commonplace.

11. 

 

If Ketsu had flown the ship a little faster, then they wouldn't be in this situation. But then again, Ketsu would say that if Sabine hadn't have taken so long on Orto Plutonia, then they wouldn't be in this situation. Sabine, trapped in a pile of rubble at the back of the ship, with the empire on their tail _.  _ There is no way that they will  _ ever  _ be able to fly the  _ Little Mandalore _ again. Sabine’s back leg is caught in the wreckage, and Ketsu is staggering away from it, towards the front of the ship. She has almost made it to the escape pod. Maybe she doesn't know that Sabine is stuck at the back. 

“Ket!” She yells, “Ket, I’m stuck.” The girl doesn't turn around, and instead, keeps limping towards the front of the ship. 

“Ket!!” Sabine shouts, louder this time, as loudly as she can. There’s no way that the other girl could have missed her shouting this time. Ketsu pauses, but doesn't turn back, and Sabine realizes that she’s ignoring her. Ketsu is going to  _ leave _ her. 

"Ketsu," Sabine shouts, trying desperately to free her leg, "Ket, please! Sith shit, Ketsu, look at me!” 

"I'm sorry, Bine," Ketsu says, but she doesn't turn around. Ketsu doesn't even face her. Sabine realizes exactly what her girlfriend’s going to do, and her heart stops. She’s never felt more helpless in her life.

"Ket!" She screams from the bottom of her lungs, from the bottom of her being, "please!" Ketsu Onyo flinches, but does not look back, and enters her escape pod all alone. Ketsu's going to let the Imps have her, and Sabine can feel angry, bitter tears prickling at her eyelashes. She flails around, and bangs her throbbing leg into the fractals, but finally wrenches it free. It hurts like hell. She thinks that it might be broken, but Sabine won’t give up, not that easily. 

She’s already wearing her armor. She just needs her helmet and a jetpack and she’ll be able to get off the ship. They’re close enough to the planet that she can fly herself planetside. She limps through the ship, and grabs her helmet. Then, she grabs her jetpack as well. She gets to the tiny side door, and takes a deep breath before she puts on her helmet. It’s designed to work as a breathing device in space, but Sabine’s never actually tried it. She’s a bit nervous that it won’t actually work, but she’s less afraid of suffocating than she is of being taken prisoner by the Imps. 

 

Sabine takes a deep breath, and then spaces herself. She sets her course planetside. Ketsu might be leaving her for dead, but doesn't mean Sabine has to lay down and die. She'll live, if only to spite the woman who said she that loved her, and would never leave her, and then left her for dead.

 

 

1. 

 

 

The Imperial Academy on Mandalore does not normally accept cadets who are younger than sixteen, but Sabine is an exception. She scores higher on both the physical and academic portions of her entry exam than any of the other applicants have in the past four years. They fast track her to officer training, and Sabine tries to be happy. 

 

That’s what her mother always wanted, or at least, that’s what her mother decided she wanted once she realized that resistance was futile, that the Mandalorians would never again rule Mandalore. The only way to change the system was to become a part of it at this point, so Sabine tried her hardest to get into the Academy. She wanted to be the best cadet that she could become. It was her only option, really, with a dead mother and a clan and house with names that had been dragged through the mud.

 

Sabine is a few weeks into training at the Academy before anyone takes much of a notice of her at all. She hasn’t acted up before, and has not caused any trouble. People haven’t noticed her either way. But then, a taller, older cadet stops in front of her as she is walking down the hall. They’re still wearing their helmet, and Sabine thinks that’s totally ridiculous. Just because you  _ can  _ wear your helmet outside of drills doesn’t mean you should. Cadet helmets look stupid anyways. They aren’t as slick as a trooper’s, and they aren’t as beautiful or culturally significant as her own Mandalorian helmet. She doesn’t know why anyone would  _ want  _ to wear theirs anymore than they’re required to. 

Sabine tries to sidestep them, but the cadet steps in front of her, blocking her way. Sabine realizes, very suddenly, that it wasn’t a coincidence. This person’s  _ harassing  _ her, and Sabine is having none of it. 

“What?” Sabine demands. The other cadet laughs, a guttural alto. 

"Aren't you a bit young to be a cadet?" she asks. 

"I'm almost  _fifteen_ ," Sabine growls, and the other girl laughs some more. Sabine glares at her, hoping to shut her up. 

" _ I'm _  almost seventeen" the other girl says, smirking at her. 

"That's not that much older," Sabine says, “just two years.” 

"You're right," the girl says, "I was just messing with you." Sabine raises an eyebrow at her

“Why?” she asks. 

“You seemed lonely,” the girl admits, and Sabine blushes scarlet. She didn’t think that anyone had noticed. 

“And I wanted to talk you,” she finishes. 

“Alright,” Sabine says cautiously. She bites her lip, and weighs her options. She could leave this girl right now, and go on her merry little way, pretending like this never happened. That, however, would also mean that she’s turning down the chance to have a friend, which is something that Sabine is sorely lacking in right now. She sighs, and she makes her decision. 

"My name’s Sabine," she says, purposely deciding not to mention her house or clan, "what's yours?" The girl finally removes her helmet and reveals a perfectly sculpted face, and hair shorn short. She might be the most attractive girl that Sabine’s ever seen, and she’s looked at a lot of attractive girls. 

"Ketsu," she says with a hint of a grin. Sabine's stupid heart skips a beat. 

“You want to see all of the places that are off-limits?” Ketsu asks her, and Sabine laughs happily. She thinks that she made a good decision in deciding to give this girl a chance. 

 

 

10. 

  
  


 

Orto Plutonia is a gorgeous, snow covered planet that sane sentients never step foot on if they’re not natives. But Sabine and Ketsu are chasing a Pantoran with a huge bounty on her head that recently fled from Pantora. Nowhere is easier to get from Pantora than the planet that it orbits, and Sabine doubts if there is anywhere that people would be less suspicious someone would hide, especially a  _ Pantoran.  _

 

Which is of course why they decided to check there first. Sentients like to hide in plain sight, and stay close enough to their home worlds that they never have to fear getting stuck halfway across the galaxy. 

 

They are staging a stake out, and Sabine had decided that they ought to have a little fun. It never snowed on Mandalore, so this is the first time either girl has ever encounter the fluffy stuff. Sabine’s not going to pass up this chance to create some art. She kneels down on the snow, and is suddenly grateful for her armor and gloves. Then, she picks up a handful of snow and balls it up.

“Bine,” Ketsu says, sounding exasperated, “we need to focus on the mission.” 

“The mark’s not going anywhere,” Sabine says. Then, she starts rolling the ball on the ground, making it bigger and bigger. 

“You’re making a snowman?” Ketsu asks, sounding highly unimpressed. 

“Yep,” Sabine says, popping the p. She continues to roll her body into a larger and larger ball. 

“We need to get back to work,” Ketsu says, but Sabine can hear her resolve slipping. Ketsu wants to play in the snow too, she’s just playing serious bounty hunter.

“If you help,” Sabine says, turning away from her snowball and flashing her girlfriend a smile, “then we’ll get done quicker.” 

“Alright,” Ketsu says, fondness creeping past her serious facade, “I’ll help.” So Ketsu makes a snowball, and starts rolling it together. Sabine grins wider as she finishes up her own part. It nearly goes up to her waist, and Sabine’s glad that it’s going to be the base. Ketsu carries her snowball over to Sabine’s and then places it on top of hers. Then, she plants a kiss on Sabine’s cheek. Sabine leans into her, and grins at their half-finished snowman. 

“Is it done?” Ketsu asks cautiously. 

“Not even close,” Sabine says, grinning even bigger. It still needs a head, and she’ll probably want to spray paint it a million colors. 

“Alright,” Ketsu says, “let’s get this over with.” But she sounds a little excited, and Sabine can tell that she’s having fun. She likes taking breaks from business as much as Sabine does. 

  
  


2. 

 

“Cadet Wren,” one of the prefects says. 

“Yes?” Sabine asks, stopping dead in her tracks. She doesn’t know what she’s done wrong. 

“What have you done to your hair?” Pryze demands. 

“I cut it and dyed it,” Sabine says. She’s confused. Does Pryze honestly not know how hair dye works? 

“You did not have the authorization to change it,” Pryze says, “and that style is not regulation.” 

“It’s only hair,” Sabine says. She realizes the moment that the words leave her mouth that it’s not the right thing to say. 

“Once you leave the academy, you could be court martialed for this,” the prefect threatens.  

“But I wear a helmet,” Sabine says, not understanding what the big fuss is about. 

“Your hair does not belong to you,” the prefect says, looking disdainfully at her multi-colored locks, “it belongs to the Empire.” Sabine doesn’t know what to say to that. She never even dreamed that she wouldn’t have control over her own hair when it’s underneath a helmet half the time. 

“Leave her alone, Pryze,” Sabine hears someone snarl. She turns abruptly around and sees Ketsu marching towards her. 

“Ket?” Sabine asks, a grin sliding across her face. 

“Onyo,” the prefect sneers, “I should have expected that you were the instigator in this. Wren showed no signs of disobedience before she started hanging around you-” 

“Sabine dyed her hair because  _ she  _ wanted to,” Ketsu growls, “maybe if you talked to her like a person, you’d know.” 

“Wren,” Pryze says, “should know that as someone going into officer training that her hair is not only her business. It must remain regulation.” 

“She’s not an officer yet,” Ketsu says. 

“I’m sorry, Pryze,” Sabine says, but she really isn’t. She can feel anger bubbling inside of her at the thought that she can’t even have her hair the way that she’d like it. 

“I’ll dye it back,” She says, feeling a bit of her freedom slip through her fingers, “just please don’t tell any of the officers about this.” Sabine’s record is spotless so far. Even with she and Ketsu’s excursions, she hasn’t been caught yet. She’d like to keep it that way. 

“See that you do,” Pryze says, looking between she and Ketsu, “and stay clear of Onyo. She’s nothing but trouble.” Pryze marches off, and Sabine breathes a sigh of relief. At least that’s finally over. 

“Sabine,” Ketsu says, “you spent so much time dying your hair that way. I know that you don’t want to just undo it.” Sabine really is proud of this dye job. Her hair starts out bright red near the roots, and then brightens to different shades of orange and even yellow at the tips. She meant for it to look like a sunset, and she thought that it turned out well. 

“Of course I don’t,” Sabine says, “but what choice do I have? We’re already enrolled in the Academy. The empire’s not going anywhere.” 

“But  _ we  _ could,” Ketsu suggests softly. 

“Wait,” Sabine asks, only just understanding what Ketsu has said, “what?” Ketsu looks around quickly, and Sabine realizes that it’s to make sure that they’re really alone. 

“Look,” she whispers, “it’s just something to think about, Bine. I’m not suggesting we pick up pistols and start shooting up imperial buildings. I’m just thinking this might not be for us.” Sabine nods, blankly, and realizes that she’s never even considered the notion that she could end up as anything but an imperial officer. It’s an odd, but not unwelcome thought. 

 

 

9. 

 

 

“So,” Ketsu says, “we’re the owners of a brand new ship.” 

“New?” Sabine asks sarcastically, remembering how the salesman promised that it has served smugglers since before the clone wars. 

“New to us,” Ketsu settles on, and Sabine laughs. 

“What do you want to do next?” Ketsu asks, like a host to a hologame contestant that’s just won a ton of money. 

“Make money, obviously,” Sabine says. She thought that they’d agreed to simply be bounty hunters, taking their pay when they could get it and avoiding capture by the empire.  

“Think bigger,” Ketsu says, sitting down at the captain’s chair and grinning, “we have the whole galaxy at our fingertips." Sabine thinks of what she’d really like to do for the first time. She hadn’t really considered the fact that they can be  _ anything.  _ She just knew that she wanted to go  _everywhere._

“Maybe we could join the Rebellion,” Sabine suggests, feeling her excitement grow, “really stick it to the empire and help out people in need.” After what Sabine has seen of the Empire, she doesn’t think that there would be a better use of her time than to fight against it. 

“The rebels don’t stand a chance, you know that, Bine,” Ketsu says. 

“Well, yes,” Sabine says, “but we could make a difference, even if it’s a little one.” 

“Yeah,” Ketsu grunts, “at the price of putting a target on our backs.” 

“Then what do you suggest, oh  _ wise leader?”  _ Sabine asks sarcastically. Ketsu always thinks that she knows better because she’s two years older than Sabine. She’s actually a bit put off that Ketsu asked for her idea if she was only going to shoot it down. 

“We’ll join Black Sun,” Ketsu says, as if it’s the most creative and brilliant idea anyone has ever thought of.

“Ket,” Sabine says, “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”  

“You can’t be completely opposed, Bine,” Ketsu says, “your clan was Death Watch.” That stings, but Sabine understands the point that she’s making. 

“Alright, Ket,” she says, trying to keep the disgust out of her voice, “why should we join Black Sun?” She’s trying to keep an open mind. Sabine has been fooled before, and she’s not in a position to turn down an idea before she knows the details. 

“For one,” Ketsu says, “we’d be making actual credits. We’d have status and a powerful organization backing us up.” Sabine doesn’t say anything, but she has to admit that sounds pretty good. 

Ketsu grins at her and then says, “And we’d be able to fuck the empire in the ass.” 

“That sounds great, Ket,” Sabine says, and she means it, “but..” 

“What is it, Bine?” Ketsu asks. She sounds concerned, and a little bit confused that Sabine is still hesitant. She seems to think that she should have convinced her by now. 

“I’ve also heard that they’re slavers,” Sabine says. 

“Come on, Bine,” Ketsu says teasingly, “you believe every Twi’lek’s Tale you hear?” Sabine bites her lip. She knows that she shouldn’t just believe everything that she hears (she learned that with the empire) but she doesn’t think that she can completely  _ ignore  _ accusations of slaving either. 

“Bine,” she says, “it’s never been proven. We can’t just assume they’re slavers because of a few rumors. You know how gossip works.” Sabine, of all people, knows how gossip works. She remembers kids at her elementary school taunting her about Death Watch, jeering about when she’d finally turn traitor. She understands gossip more than most. It’s kind of funny that the words that were so hurtful for her back then have ended up coming true. She is a traitor to the empire, but she’s still nothing like Death Watch. She didn’t betray her own people. 

“Alright,” Sabine finally decides, “let’s do it.” 

Ketsu grins at her, and Sabine adds, “But only to fuck with the empire.” 

“To fuck with the empire,” Ketsu repeats, almost a cheer. Sabine laughs, and sprawls out on her copilot’s seat. 

“Fuck the empire,” she agrees. She might not be completely behind Black Sun, but fucking with the empire is something that she knows she’ll always be able to get behind. 

  
  


 

3. 

 

 

Explosives 101, or as Sabine likes to call it “Let’s Blow Shit Up” is Sabine’s favorite class by far. The rest of the classes are all done sitting at a desk, learning dates and facts and memorizing statistics. She enjoys her language classes as well, but explosives is her very favorite. She gets to work hands on with things that explode, and watch things blow up in a beautiful burst of light. 

 

The instructor is a tall, human male with dark skin, dark eyes, and wiry black hair cut short against his head. He’s a passionate teacher, but he loves the bombs more than he likes the kids. Sabine can’t really blame him, though. She likes the bombs better than she likes her classmates too. 

Today, sadly, isn’t a hands on sort of lesson, but Sabine guesses that they can’t all be. Today is a “take notes while he shows you holovids of different types of bombs and tells you ridiculously in-depth facts that will probably be on the test” sort of day. Sabine still enjoys these days, because watching shit blow up is still watching shit blow up, but _still._ It isn’t nearly as much fun as blowing shit up herself. The holovid shows multiple buildings on a planet that looks like it’s in the Mid Rim collapsing. The instructor gestures excitedly towards the projection.

“This one can blow up half a city block,” he says. He’s smiling from ear to ear, and there’s a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. Sabine’s pretty excited about the prospect of blowing up that much of the cityscape, but she’s a bit curious about how they accomplish that without hurting anyone.   
  


“How do you make sure the bombs don’t hit civilians?” Sabine asks, “their range is so wide, it must be a struggle clearing the area when insurgents are prowling around.” The instructor’s face falls, and he’s silent for a few moments. Sabine doesn’t think this is a good sign. 

“Sometimes it’s necessary to deploy them on civilians, Cadet Wren,” the instructor says, “you must understand. Sometimes you just can’t kill the rebels without taking a few innocents with them.” Sabine feels like she’s suffocating. 

_ They use those things on civilians _ , she thinks numbly. At this rate, Sabine is probably going to advance to be an officer in the explosives department, and she feels like her world is spinning so fast that she can’t get a grip on what’s going on.  _ She _ ’d be using those things on civilians. She lets her head fall onto her desk, and tries to take deep, soothing breaths. She has to block this out. She has to forget what she’s learned, at least until she can get out of this classroom. 

 

“This one leaves an interesting blue paste in its wake,” he says, “and it’s far cheaper to produce than the one we discussed previously.”  _ They kill civilians,  _ she thinks, even though she’s trying not to,  _ they kill civilians and they don’t even  _ **_care._ **

 

“It’s one of the most effective weapons in the empire’s arsenal,” he goes on, and Sabine tries to tune him out, tries to tune all of them out. She can’t deal with any of this as her heart beats quickly and she can feel her throat constricting. She’s signed up to kill civilians. 

“Cadet Wren?” he asks. She barely registers that he’s said her name, and it takes her a moment to realize that he expects her to respond. She pushes herself off of the desk, and hopes that none of them notice the wet patches on her face. She looks and him, and he actually looks concerned. 

“Yes sir?” she asks. 

“Are you alright?” he asks cautiously. He has slumped into himself, and is not even looking at the holovid of an explosion playing on repeat. 

“Yes,” she says, but her voice cracks and she can feel her throat burning, “I’m fine.” She can hear the other cadets laughing at her, and her face flushes. The instructor glares darkly at them, and they quiet. He’s an intimidating man. 

“Please go take a breather, Cadet Wren,” he says, “you’re excused from class.” She can hear the other cadets murmuring, but she’s numb to it. Her head still feels like it’s spinning, and she almost forgets to pick up her bag on the way out. She walks numbly through the halls, her bag in one hand and her helmet in the other. Her helmet has never felt heavy in her hand before, but now it feels like it’s weighing her down, dragging her down into the ground. Sabine doesn’t like the thought at all.

She opens up the hatch to the maintenance tunnels she and Ketsu have been exploring, and crawls inside. She sits down against the wall, and curls up in a little ball around herself. Her eyes are still wet with tears, and the dusty air is not easy on her burning throat. She coughs and tries to keep herself from crying even more as she tries to block out the world underneath the Academy.

 

She’s not sure how long she’s down there before she hears the hatch open above her. She looks up, and sees Ketsu sneaking in, accompanied by a beam of bright light. 

 

“Sabine?” Ketsu asks as she closes the door. Sabine throws herself to her feet, and then latches onto Ketsu like a persistent bug does to the outside of a ship. 

“Ket,” she says, burying her face in the other girl’s shoulder. Ketsu wraps one arm around her waist, and brings the other hand to slide through her hair. 

“Bine,” she says softly, “what is it?” 

“The bombs we talk about in class,” she says, tears muffling her words even more, “they  _ use _ them.” She can’t form a coherent sentence to save her life right now. 

“Um, yes Bine,” Ketsu says, still sounding comforting but still confused, “yes they do.” Sabine sobs a little and tries desperately to put her feelings into words. 

“Ket,” she murmurs, her throat burning from guilt and tears running down her throat, “they use those bombs on civilians. They don’t even  _ try  _ not to.” 

“Oh,” Ketsu says softly, finally understanding Sabine’s problem, “that’s- that’s completely different.” Ketsu’s grip on her waist tightens, as if she’s drawing her in tighter to make sure she doesn’t disappear. 

“Yeah,” Sabine says, refusing to break her hold on Ketsu, “it is.” She hugs the other girl as tightly as she can, to remind herself that she’s still there. 

“I’ve got you,” Ketsu murmurs, “I’m here, Sabine.” She clutches the other girl a little tighter, and reminds herself that Ketsu isn’t going anywhere. She’s right here, a literal shoulder to cry on, and for right now, that’s enough. 

  
  


8. 

 

Sabine and Ketsu have finally traveled far enough from the Academy that they feel comfortable trying to get off of the planet. They’ve got enough credits between them to purchase a small, rundown ship. When they go up to the dealer and request to buy a ship, he doesn’t even bat an eye. They’re a pair of teenage girls in full armor, but either he’s not suspicious of anything or just doesn’t care. 

 

“We’ve got a thousand credits,” Sabine tells him. The guy takes them out to his shipyard and shows them the only ship that he has that they can get for that sort of money. It’s small, only about three times the size of a TIE fighter. It has a cockpit, a tiny living area, a kitchen, a freshener, and one tiny bedroom. It’s good enough to get off of the planet in, and Sabine and Ketsu certainly don’t mind sharing a room. 

“What’s it called?” Sabine asks. 

“It doesn’t have a name,” the man scoffs, “only nice ships have names. Ones that haven't been in circulation since before the clone wars.” He must be pretty confident that they're desperate enough to buy it if he's bashing on his own product. Ketsu checks out the engine, and decides that it will fly. That’s all that they really need. 

“We’ll take it,” Sabine says. They go back inside his shop, and exchange their credits for the deed and the keys. 

“It was a pleasure doing business with you,” he says sarcastically. Ketsu glares, but she doesn’t say anything. They have their ship which is all that they wanted. 

 

Ketsu sits down in the pilot’s chair, and Sabine sits beside her. They take off, and it goes as well as anyone with their amount of flight experience can honestly expect it to. They get off the planet with everything still intact and make it out of the atmosphere, so Sabine considers it a victory. They set a course for Taris and sit back, waiting for when they’ll finally arrive. 

 

“So,” Sabine asks when she finally feels that they’ve settled in, “What should we name her?” 

“Trash?” Ketsu says, sliding her chair to face her copilot, “temporary?” 

“Aren’t you sentimental,” Sabine says sarcastically. 

Ketsu laughs and says, “I was just being realistic, Bine.” 

“I was thinking  _ Little Mandalore,”  _ Sabine says, “because it’s like a little piece of home.” Ketsu grins and starts laughing. 

“You’re such a sap, Sabine,” she says, but she sounds fond. 

“Oh come on,” Sabine says, “you like it.” 

“Yeah,” Ketsu admits, “I do.” She looks around, and her eyes settle in the general direction of the sleeping quarters. 

“So” Ketsu asks, "You wanna break in that bed."Sabine blushes and laughs. 

“I’m not making any promises,” she says. They’ve never gone any further than kissing before, and Sabine’s not sure that she’s ready. She’s only just turned fifteen. 

“I won’t push,” Ketsu promises, and Sabine smiles. They make their way to the back of the ship, their course set for Taris. No matter where this ends up going, Sabine thinks that she can get used to it. 

  
  
  


4. 

 

It has been two days since Sabine’s breakdown in explosives class, and she likes to think that she’s calmed down. At least, she’s gotten better at giving the appearance that she’s calm. She can’t let anyone but Ketsu know how distressed she is about this, because questioning the empire is a tiny step away from treason, and people are executed for treason, minors or not. 

 

Sabine feels trapped, like she’s going to suffocate under the pressures and the weight of her guilt, but she doesn’t know what else to do. She’s committed to the Academy, and she can’t leave if she wants to live. She is walking through the halls on the way to class in the morning, and Ketsu walks right beside her. 

  
“Bine,” she says, voice little more than a whisper, “meet me in the tunnels after class.” Sabine sends her a questioning look, but Ketsu just nods at her and leaves. 

 

Sabine spends all of her classes wondering what it is that Ketsu wants to talk to her about. She slides secretly underneath the floors as soon as she can get out of class and sneak away, and then she finds that Ketsu is already down there. 

 

“What is it?” Sabine asks. 

“We’re defecting,” Ketsu whispers back, “at least, if you want to.” 

“Wait,” Sabine asks, “what?” 

“I’ve got an escape plan,” she says, “after what happened a few days ago, I knew that you wouldn’t be able to live with yourself if you stayed. You’ve got too good of a heart, Sabine.” No one has ever done anything that nice for Sabine, not in her  _ entire life.  _ No one has ever considered her or her feelings that deeply, and she feels like her heart’s on fire, like it’s about to burst, and she closes the gap between them. She presses a soft kiss to Ketsu’s lips and then breaks away, blushing furiously. 

“I’m sorry,” she says, “I just- I got carried away.” Sabine doesn’t even know if Ketsu  _ swings  _ that way. They might only be friends, or sisters, or-    
“Bine,” Ketsu says as a huge smile passes over her face, “I’ve been hoping that you’d do that for months.” Sabine kisses her again, and this time, she doesn’t pull back. Ketsu pushes into her, and it feels like magic, like  _ fireworks.  _ It feels like something Sabine would want to do forever. 

 

7. 

 

They’ve been on the run for weeks, trying to get far enough away from the Academy that they can buy themselves a ship. Now, however, they’re curled up in an alleyway a few hours over, underneath a few blankets and trying to look up at what they can see of the stars. It’s a little bit romantic. It would be more romantic if Sabine couldn’t smell rotting trash a few feet over, but she’ll take what she can get. They are on the run from the galactic empire, after all. 

 

“Who was your family,” Sabine says, “before the imperials came?” Mandalore changed drastically in the last forty years. First, the Duchess Satine Kryze tried to institute a pacifist government. Then, Pre Vizsla usurped her with the help of Sabine’s mother. There was a sith lord somewhere in the mix, and then the Republic invaded. And then of course, the empire took over and killed the last bit that remained of the Mandalore of Old. 

“I’m House Kryze,” Ketsu says, sounding disgusted with herself, “My mother served as an advisor to the Duchess before she was overthrown.” Sabine actually starts laughing at that, considering how vastly different their families were. 

“My clan is a bunch of peace loving fools,” Ketsu says. Sabine has gotten hints that Ketsu is more of a believer in the Mandalore of Old than of Duchess Kryze’s New Mandalore, but she never expected such strong animosity. But then again. Ketsu Onyo never does things by halves. 

“What about you?” Ketsu asks. Sabine suddenly realizes why she’s never wanted to talk about houses before. 

“House Vizsla,” Sabine mumbles.  

“What?” Ketsu asks, turning to face her. 

“House Vizsla,” Sabine repeats. 

“Wait, you’re Death Watch?” Ketsu asks, as if the idea is the most ridiculous thing that she’s ever heard. 

“My mother was,” Sabine says. Then it’s Ketsu’s turn to start laughing. 

“Here we are,” she says, “the daughter of Death Watch who doesn’t want to bomb innocents-” She gestures to Sabine at that. 

She gestures to herself as she says, “And the one sworn to House Kryze that laughs at the idea of peace.” Sabine does giggle at that. They make an odd pair, but they somehow work together, better than Sabine has ever worked with anyone before. 

“Kryze or Vizsla,” Sabine says, “they both hate the empire.” 

“True,” Ketsu says, “I guess it’s the only thing we agree with our houses on.” Sabine lies back down, and looks up at the expanse of space, thinking about how she and Ketsu will eventually get to fly all around it, seeing other planets and experiencing so many things that Sabine has never dreamed of. She doesn’t know why anyone would feel the need to subjugate when they can just explore. 

“The entire empire hates the empire,” Sabine says, and Ketsu laughs. 

“Too true,” she says, and she looks up at the stars too. Sabine wonders if Ketsu’s seeing them the same way that she is, like a work of art, like an adventure. Sabine starts describing all of the worlds that she’s ever heard of, and how excited she is to get to visit them, and Ketsu listens with rapt attention. Either she’s as excited to travel as Sabine is, or she likes listening to her speak. Either way, Sabine finds herself happy with the situation. 

  
5.   
  


It is the dead of the night, two days after they decided to escape, and Sabine has packed all of her essential belongings. All of her credits, a few toiletries, a few pieces of clothing that don’t look overly imperial, and a few lifted blasters. She has already put on her armor, and is simply waiting to hear Ketsu knock on the door. 

 

She appreciates that the Academy generally does not bother with hall monitors in the innards of the school. It’s only a two year school, and they don’t believe that the students will have learned anything substantial enough to make them a threat. Sabine appreciates their underestimation. 

 

Ketsu finally knocks on the door, and Sabine follows her out. They slip through the hallway, trying to step so softly that no one could ever hear them. 

 

They get halfway through the complex before anyone notices. They’re both stealthy. Sabine has spent half of her life on the run from the remnants of Death Watch because her mother deserted, and Ketsu is one of the best cadets in her class. But even with their swift movements and feather light footsteps, they eventually do catch them. They are halfway through the last hallway before the portion of the complex that is outdoors, and a stormtrooper sees them. Sabine’s suddenly grateful that stormtroopers are the lowest of the low in the imperial hierarchy, because their lack of skill aids in their escape. 

 

“Intruders!” he shouts. Sabine looks to Ketsu, and they nod to each other. 

 

_ Run  _

 

They run as fast as their legs can carry them, and dodge blaster fire left and right. They are catching up with them, and Sabine tries to push the doors open, but she realizes that they are completely locked. She curses under her breath and shoots the lock. That jars the door a bit, and she and Ketsu are able to push it open. They run faster and faster through the outside part of the complex, towards the enormous outer walls and watch towers. 

 

The lights from the sniper towers settle on them, and they run faster and faster until Sabine feels like her lungs might give out. She can feel a blaster bolt brush against the side of her armor, but she’s nearly at the wall. She takes a running start, and launches herself up. She’s able to climb it fairly quickly. It’s only about ten feet tall, and Sabine is a good climber. Ketsu, apparently, is not. She leans down from the top and helps her to the top as they struggle and flail, and the troopers get closer. She throws herself over the wall, and her ankles ache from the fall but she keeps running. She keeps running even though Ketsu has fallen a few paces behind, even though it feels like her feet are about to break and her lungs are about to burst. They keep running, and running, and running until they cannot hear blaster fire in the distance and until they are far, far from the city. 

  
  


6. 

 

It is hours after they left the complex, and every part of Sabine’s body feels sore. 

“We made it,” Ketsu says breathlessly. Sabine looks at the rocky, awful little ditch so far from the Academy and the city. She laughs, and it gets caught in her throat because she still can barely breath. 

“Yeah,” she says, “I guess we did.” 

“I don’t think that I can walk any farther,” Ketsu says. They look down at the rocky ditch, and Sabine sighs. She doesn’t want to try to sleep here, but she doesn’t want to try to move any further either. Her body already feels like it’s been burned. She sighs, but she sits down on the ground. The rocks dig into her butt, even through her pants and she sighs. This is going to be an awful night. She lies back against the rocky wall. Ketsu takes some of her clothes out of her bag and lies them down beside Sabine for her to sit on. She sits down on top of them. '

  
“Do you want one?” she asks, holding up a shirt. Sabine nods, and then slides the shirt underneath her. They're quiet for a moment, or maybe a few minutes. Sabine can't really tell after what seems like hours of running. She asks a question that she both does and does not want to know the answer to. 

“Do you regret it?” Sabine asks softly. 

“Wait?” Ketsu asks, “leaving the Academy?” 

“Yeah,” Sabine asks, “if it weren’t for me, you’d still be in a bed right now.” If it weren’t for her and her stupid conscious, they’d both still be on their ways to illustrious careers. 

“I’d have left the Academy eventually,” Ketsu promises her, “with or without you. You just gave me a push.” Sabine doesn’t mean to say this next part out loud, but she’s tired and emotional and it just sort of slides out. 

“With or without me?” she asks, her voice sort of cracking. Ketsu sends her a loving look, and tells her exactly what she needs to hear. 

"I'd never leave you, Bine," Ketsu promises, taking Sabine’s hand in hers, "you don't have to worry about that." Sabine lies her head on Ketsu’s shoulder, and closes her eyes. 

“Thank you, Ketsu,” she says, “for always being there for me.” 

Ketsu squeezes her hand a little, a comforting sort of gesture and says, “I always will be, Bine.” She’s safe for now, and Ketsu is not going anywhere. For now, that is enough. 

**Author's Note:**

> for every comment that i get about a ketbine fic being out of character simply because it's gay or someone pointing out how how sabine and ketsu called each other sisters and using that as some sort of ship trump card, i will write another ketbine fic. i'm currently scheduled to write at least one more because of similar comments. 
> 
> i hope that you guys enjoyed this fic that i trudged through and finished out of pure spite :)


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